Reach Out
by Lucinda
Summary: AU post s6, post X-Men the movie.   Willow seeks to make contact with someone, to reassure herself that she's real. Completed.
1. Reach Out

Reach Out  
  
author: Lucinda  
rating: pg, pg 13?  
pairing: Willow/Logan (X-Men) (QPC 126)  
the site:   
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I do not own Logan, he belongs to Marvel comics/entertainment.  
distribution: Quickie Challenge, WLS, NHA, Bite Me please? Twisting the Hellmouth  
note: set post sason 6, post X-Men the movie.   
QPC Theme for January: New Year, the number 2003, winter time, ice skating, resolutions, champagne/alcohol, hangovers, parties.  
  
  
  
The coven in England hadn't been able to help her, not the way that they'd hoped. They'd managed to pull her back from the edge of madness, the lonely place that she'd been teetering in her pain and grief. They'd told her something that she hadn't known, that not all of her power came from magic. She used something else as well, something that could only be some sort of inborn ability.  
  
The nice senior witches had been to polite to use the term mutation. The younger ones had whispered it, not certain what it would mean for a witch to have both mutant abilities and magic. The idea had unsettled them, leaving some afraid, others envious, and one of them in awe at the potential Willow had.  
  
She'd felt their unease, once her emotions and heart had healed enough to care. They weren't quite certain what to think of her. She'd learned what they would teach her, and decide to move on, to leave the coven and travel the world. Not just to see thing and places, although she'd always wanted to see Rome and Ravenna and Pompeii, but because she needed to figure out who Willow was. Not the research girl, or the slayerette or scooby, not the witchy firepower, but Willow.  
  
She'd arrived in Italy in the winter, the snow leaving everything covered with a pale layer, sparkling and glorious. She'd just sort of meandered around, practicing ice skating, and dropping in on a few parties, watching people drinking wine and beer and having fun. She'd remembered how to dance, and had joined a bit of the celebrations, laughing and smiling with the strangers she'd find herself in the midst of.  
  
New Year's Eve found her in a half-deserted bar with a few scattered people, all of whom seemed to have found their solitary way into the place. One of them sat down near her, a man with wild dark hair and a feeling of pain almost radiating from him.  
  
It had turned out that one of her mutations was a something almost like empathy, except that an empath could only connect to a person, while she could get feelings from people, animals, demons, objects, places... and this man carried an enormous amount of pain.  
  
Willow looked at him, part of her remembering how the old Willow had always wanted to help anyone that was in need, even Spike. Another part urged that she not reach out, that she avoid making any contact with another person, least they reject her like the scoobies had.  
  
She looked over at the man, noticing the way he had a pair of small metal objects on a chain around his neck, objects that reminded her of dog tags. He seemed to trace over them, as if in a nervous habit or as if trying to fathom some deeply hidden mystery.  
  
"Can I buy you a drink, stranger?" She tried to keep her voice light, to hide her own pain, but a single glimpse of his eyes told her that she'd failed, that he knew of her own pain just as she knew of his.  
  
He looked at her, as if trying to find any hidden motivation she might have, any hidden demand that she might try to place on him.  
  
"A drink sounds good." His voice was a bit rough, as if he wasn't used to talking.  
  
By the time several hours later, when it was almost New Year's, he glanced over at her. They'd exchanged some minor, nearly meaningless chatter, he was Logan and she was Willow, and neither of them were from around here. Traveling for personal reasons. "So, Willow... it's almost the new year, almost two thousand three. Got a resolution?"  
  
"Hmm... yeah. And I've had enough of these that I might even have the courage to act on it." She was smiling at him, trying to flirt just a little, uncertain if he'd notice.  
  
There was the sound of cheering as the year turned, and Willow smiled, her eyes surely sparkling with mischief. She reached over and grabbed Logan by his shirt, pulling him close enough that she could kiss him, her lips moving over his as if she had to memorize the taste and feel of his mouth.  
  
"Happy New Year, Logan."  
  
"Not that I'm complaining, but what kind of resolution is that?" He was staring, his eyes filled with a complex blend of emotions, including passion and desire.  
  
She traced one finger over his cheekbone getting a half image of shining silver metal. "I wanted to reach out, to make contact with someone. To feel like I'm still real and alive and actually a person instead of a walking memory."   
  
"If you want any help with that, I wouldn't mind offering a little reassurance for you." There was a definite suggestion in those words, an almost stated offer to take her to bed with him, to feel passion and pleasure and just... to feel.  
  
Normally, she would just blush and retreat. But she was healing, and gaining in confidence. She had grown past the girl she had once been. "I think that sounds good. Your hotel or mine?"  
end Reach Out. 


	2. Smell the Roses

Smell the Roses  
  
author: Lucinda  
rating: pg 13?  
pairing: Willow/Logan (X-Men) (QPC 126)  
sequel to Reach Out  
the site:   
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I do not own Logan, he belongs to Marvel comics/entertainment.  
distribution: Quickie Challenge, WLS, NHA, Bite Me please? Twisting the Hellmouth  
note: set post season 6, post X-Men the movie.   
Theme for February (up to the 15th): love, flowers, chocolate, PWP, courtship, Valentine's Day, weddings.   
  
  
Willow had never expected anything beyond New Year's with Logan. Granted, he seemed to be alone, and things between them... They'd had great chemistry. Not to mention fantastic, passionate sex of the sort that she'd never thought existed outside of smutty romance novels. But she'd never expected him to stay with her.  
  
But he'd still been there in the morning, she'd woke with her head resting on his shoulder, her arm draped over his chest, leg hooked over his knee, as if trying to keep him from slipping away. And he'd made no efforts to leave her. Granted, he did things that were elsewhere, but he came back to her at night, with a smile for her, and his eyes holding a rich hunger for her... company.  
  
That had been far more than she'd ever hoped for at New Year's. She'd wanted reassurance that she was real, wanted one night of contact, a night where she mattered to another person. She'd asked for no commitments, no promises but those of good health...  
  
She'd got Logan.  
  
He seemed to take great delight in feeding her chocolates, and had a fondness for what he called 'Willow Sundaes', sticky confections involving chocolate syrup, warmed carmel, whipped cream, and sprinkles. Wow... the experience was almost enough to make her think that she'd found herself an incubus... and she was finding that she rather liked it.  
  
Gradually, they'd been learning more about each other. About each other's pasts, their hopes and dreams and worries. It turned out that Logan was a mutant, and she'd been able to tell from his eyes that he'd half expeced her to pull away at that soft revelation, had expected her to be afraid, revolted, horrified. But it hadn't changed anything for her. He was still Logan, still the strong, muscular man that she was starting to care for, staring to expect to come to her arms at night.  
  
It terrified her that he'd carved out a place in her heart. She'd never meant to care like this, because it only seemed to cause her pain to care deeply for another person. But she did care about him.  
  
What was more puzzling to her was the way they kept opening up to each other, sharing more and more personal details of their pasts. Or the way he would do little things for her... not the opening doors and pulling of chairs that whispered of old world gentlemen helping delicate maidens, but... he would point out a pretty view for her to admire, or suggest a movie that he thought she would like. He gave her chocolates, and stood beside her when she watched with almost envious eyes as happy newlyweds left glorious cathedrals.  
  
It was almost as if he was courting her. But nobody had ever done that for her. Oz had never courted her, never sought out to slowly win her over with acts of concern and gifts chosen to make her smile. With Tara, she had done the courting, had been the wooer seeking the blushing maiden. She really wasn't certain what she was supposed to do... so she smiled at him, delighted in his thoughtfulness and consideration even as it baffled her.  
  
Valentine's was approaching though, and she could see all the decorations for it in the stores. It made her a bit nervous... would he or wouldn't he? Should she? Willow hadn't expected this to become a relationship, but it had.  
  
"Hey Willow darling. I picked you up something... Thought you might like it in honor of the day and all..." Logan was there, looking a bit hesitant as he held out his offering. A single red rose, the color a bit pale, not the deep red of blood or burgundy velvet, but a brighter one, like fire engines and tomatoes.  
  
She smiled, her hand trembling as she pulled the flower close, inhaling the most wonderful rose scent. "Nobody's ever given me roses before..."  
  
"Willow, you're... you've become very special to me. I don't know how things will go in the future, but I like how they've been. I'd like... would you be willing to stay with me? To make a try for the future with a guy like me? I mean, commitment, and a real, serious... well, something we can put a name too?" She could feel the tension in him again, knowing that he was nervous, fearing the chance of rejection.  
  
Kissing him, she smiled into his eyes. "You've become special to me as well, Logan. I didn't want it to happen... caring about someone always seems to lead to pain, but it happened. And I sort of like it. I'd love to try to work out a future between the two of us. Even... especially with commitment."  
  
Sometimes, you just had to stop and smell the roses in life. For however long it would last.  
  
end. 


	3. Dinner by CandleLight

Dinner by Candle-Light  
  
author: Lucinda  
rating: pg 13?  
pairing: Willow/Logan (X-Men) (QPC 126)  
sequel to 'Reach Out' and 'Smell the Roses'  
the site:   
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I do not own Logan, he belongs to Marvel comics/entertainment.  
distribution: Quickie Challenge, WLS, NHA, Bite Me please? Twisting the Hellmouth  
note: set post season 6, post X-Men the movie.   
Theme for February (up to the 15th): love, flowers, chocolate, PWP, courtship, Valentine's Day, weddings.   
  
  
Willow didn't know quite what to say. Today was Valentine's Day, and Logan had surprised her again. He'd sent her out to find some chocolates for later, and while she faced the hordes of people, many of them boys and men frantically seeking gifts for the females in their lives, Logan had remained in their hotel room. Not just lounging around, but apparently hard at work, judging from the sight awaiting her when she'd returned, box of Ghirardelli chocolates in hand.  
  
Candles were along all the shelves, along the window, over the false fireplace, and on the little tables, their soft glow making the room seem almost mysterious and at the same time very welcoming. Mingled scents of roses and vanilla and cloves filled the air, as well as the scent of grilled and seasoned steak. While Willow was away, Logan had somehow set up a romantic candle light dinner fo the two of them, with salads, grilled steak with steamed vegetables, and a rich chocolaty desert. It was amazing, and positively one of the sweetest things that Willow had ever seen. There were vases with assorted flowers, some pale roses, others graceful pale lillies or brightly colored flowers that Willow couldn't name.  
  
"Logan... this is... wow." She could hardly believe that this was the same room.  
  
He smiled at her, his eyes almost caressing her body. "The only thing missing is a lovely lady to join me for dinner. Would you like to have dinner, lover? I've been waiting for you to get back."  
  
She could feel herself blushing. "Dinner sounds... and smells wonderful, Logan. I'd be delighted."  
  
There was a note of wicked promise in his voice as he spoke again, his voice low with a hint of growl. "No, the delight comes a bit later."  
  
She blushed through the whole dinner, her mind wandering towards his promise of later. Considering some of what they'd been doing, it was a safe bet that he'd keep that promise. She felt herself smile as she considered him. Logan was not the most classically handsome man, but he was in amazing shape, and he had this rugged appeal that just made her want to run her hands all over him... well, it inspired very naughty thoughts. She'd save those for later.  
  
But there was more to Logan than his great body and sex appeal. He was sweet and kind... not in the sappy Hall-mark commercial sort of way, but... well, she couldn't quite describe it but it was there. She could see it in the way he touched her, in the way he kept an eye on her to see if she was happy somewhere, or the way that he would so easily give her back rubs that lasted for a long time and became glorious exercises in sensuality.  
  
Willow had already realized that she was falling in love with Logan. It frightened her, partly because she didn't know how he felt, and partly because she was afraid to get attached again, afraid to open her heart and let someone inside. That had brought her so much pain... Xander, Malcolm/Moloch, Tara... It was a dark and unhappy list. She just hoped that things with Logan would be better. They would just about have to be. He was already in her heart.  
  
She could feel his eyes on her, watching her, knowing every line of muscle, every curve of her body, every scar traced over her skin with the passionate eyes of a lover. He'd seen and touched and tasted every inch of her, and the simple gaze of his eyes brought all of that flashing back to her. She smiled at him, and hoped that there was a chance that she held some similar power over him.  
  
"Logan? Do you think... maybe the desert could... maybe the chocolate in the serving cups could wait?" Her voice was low with anticipation.  
  
He looked at her, his eyes darkened with passion and anticipation and need, and smiled. "I think the chocolate can wait. Willow, have I ever mentioned that I love the way you think sometimes?"  
  
He slid from his seat, almost stalking around the table to her side, fingers trailing slowly up her arm, making her intensely aware of everything. "I could fall for a woman like you Willow. I just hope... well, life hasn't been kind to me. I hope things stay as good as they are now."  
  
Willow felt joy and relief and hope bubble up in her, like the bubbles in a shaken bottle of carbonated soda. They came forth in a deliriously happy smile, and she wrapped her arms around him, kissing him until her lungs cried out for breath, and they were both left gasping for air. "I might be falling for you as well."  
  
Dinner was only the beginning, after all. And life was very, very good to Willow right now.  
  
end. 


	4. Promises

Reach Out 4: Promises  
  
author: Lucinda  
  
rating: pg, pg 13?  
  
pairing: Willow/Logan (X-Men) (QPC 126)  
  
the site: http://qfic.moonlitpaths.com/index.php  
  
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I do not own Logan, he belongs to Marvel comics/entertainment.  
  
distribution: Quickie Challenge, WLS, NHA, Bite Me please? Twisting the Hellmouth  
  
note: set post season 6, post X-Men the movie.   
  
  
  
Willow smiled, laying back among the grasses and tiny wildflowers. They were somewhere in the Black Forest of Germany, just herself and Logan, meandering across Europe. What had started at a desperate desire to feel alive had blossomed into this wonderful relationship. Logan was passionate, intense, compassionate, tender, and forceful, a man filled with facets and complexities. He had helped her live again, and helped her discover passion in a way that she'd never had before.  
  
But now, they had a relationship. They weren't just sort of lingering over a nice winter fling, they were committed to each other. There were feelings, even if they weren't discussed, she could see them in his eyes, hear them in his voice, feel them with her sort of empathic abilities. She mattered to him, in ways that he couldn't put into words, just as he mattered to her.  
  
A sudden spattering of cool water fell on her, causing her to sit up, gasping from the surprise of it. "Logan! That was… cold."  
  
Logan knelt down beside her, smiling. His hair was a wild mass, looking almost tangled, and still managing to sort of stick out. His eyes gleamed as he leaned closer, his lips nearly touching hers. "You just looked so good… How can I resist such a lovely wood nymph?"  
  
Willow smiled, until his kiss made that impossible. He tasted of cool water, and his body felt warm, solidly male. He thought that she was temptation incarnate, reclined among the flowers. Who was she to deny him that?  
  
"Willow?" Logan sounded almost nervous, his fingers tracing over her spine in a soft caress. "I was wondering… will you… someday, when the time is right… would you maybe want to get married? Be my Willowy wife?"  
  
Surprise and delight and giddiness danced through her veins, and she kissed him, needing no time to think about his awkward proposal. "Someday… yes. I would love to be your willowy wife, and build a nice home with you in a forest, and raise little wildling children."  
  
"It might not be safe…" He nuzzled at her hair, his arms wrapping around her, surrounding her with warmth and protection, and the slightly musky scent of Logan.  
  
"My life has never been safe, but with you, I could be happy. I want that happiness. This happiness." She ran her fingers through his stiff, coarse hair. "You bring happiness and intensity into my life. You made life worth having again."  
  
"You're my happiness, Willow." His words were soft, but they came from the depths of his being.  
  
"Well, then there's no reason why we can't try to build a happy, wonderful life together. Where do you want to live?" She smiled, her mind trying to envision what their children might look like.  
  
"I don't know. But we don't have to start a house and kids just yet." His hands gripped her, thumbs rubbing on her arms.  
  
"I have you, and you have me. That's the start. And together, we can make a future. Here, there, anywhere. But there's no reason not to see the world before we settle down." Willow arced up, kissing Logan. "Together."  
  
"Together." His promise was soft, but heartfelt.  
  
End Reach Out 4: Promises. 


	5. the Meaning of Home

author: Lucinda  
  
rating: pg, pg 13?  
  
pairing: Willow/Logan (X-Men) (QPC 126)  
  
the site: http://qfic.moonlitpaths.com/index.php  
  
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I do not own Logan, he belongs to Marvel comics/entertainment.  
  
distribution: Quickie Challenge, WLS, NHA, Bite Me please? Twisting the Hellmouth  
  
note: set post season 6, post X-Men the movie.   
  
  
  
Willow leaned back against a tree, watching the sun set over a lake. The water looked cold and deep, rippling slightly as it reflected the reds, purples and oranges of the sunset. Logan was beside her, warm and comforting, his fingers resting on her arm. It was as if he half expected her to vanish.  
  
"This is nice. Peaceful. Why can't things always be this way?" She sighed, not entirely certain there was an answer.  
  
Logan chuckled a little. "Because... the whole world isn't peaceful and quiet. There are a lot of other people out there, making a lot of noise. But this is nice. Soothing."  
  
They sat there for a while longer, watching the colors darken, the stars gradually appear in the sky. Logan spoke again, almost reluctantly. "Willow? What do you think of when you hear the word home?"  
  
"Home... that's supposed to be where you feel welcome, and safe and loved. A place where you belong." Shifting a little, she leaned her head on his shoulder. A bit wistfully, she continued. "I don't have a home anymore. I used to, but now... they're afraid of me now. Home should be a place where they aren't afraid of you."  
  
"There might be a place. Somewhere I ended up for a while, before I started searching for my past again. A school for mutants, it's called Xavier's." Logan's hand was rubbing over her arm. "They've even got a doctor there."  
  
"Do you miss it? Having a place to stay, the people there?" Willow twisted around so that she was facing him, wanting to see into his eyes.   
  
Logan paused, as if considering how to nswer. "Sometimes. Some of the things. There were a lot of people there, and some of them... we didn't all get along. But it was... I wasn't so much of a freak there. And it won't be nice hiking weather forever, I'd rather not be camping out when it starts to get frosty outside."  
  
Willow giggled a bit, running her finger along his chest. "I could keep you warm... But wait, hot showers. Laundry. Coffee... yeah, lets go to this school."  
  
Logan laughed, cuddling her closer to him. "You are just too much sometimes, Willow. I think you might like it there. And we wouldn't always have to cook our own meals."  
  
She wrinkled her nose, knowing that he was teasing her. "I'm getting better... I'm not that bad, honestly."  
  
Wisely, Logan just kissed her, dodging the matter entirely.  
  
"Well, I suppose we could let someone else cook occasionally." She curled up on his lap, deciding that was more comfortable than the ground. "So, is there any particular reason that you're bringing this up, oh man of mine?"   
  
"Hmmm..." He nuzzled at her neck, nibbling a bit at her earlobe. "Do I need a reason to want you safe and comfortable?"  
  
"I can take care of myself, Logan. You know that... ohh..." Willow sighed, melting against her lover.  
  
"I know that you can. But maybe you shouldn't always have to?" He traced over one of the many small scars that she'd walked away from the Hellmouth with, his eyes sad and full of love. "Besides, there's not too much more to see out here."  
  
Willow sighed, wondering if there was something that Logan wasn't telling her, some hidden prompting of the suggested return to civilization. With a slightly exaggerated pout, she agreed. "I suppose we could go back, although I'm a bit reluctant to share you with anybody else. The good news is that there's a lot more chocolate where the people are."  
  
"Sweetie, when we get back, I promise to get you all the chocolate that you want." There was a seductive growl to his voice.  
  
Life was looking up. She had Logan, and he showed every sign that he would be with her for a very long time. As far as she was concerned, that was just about perfect. "So... when did you want to head back?"  
  
"Tomorrow. We can start back tomorrow." Logan's smile told Willow that he had a few plans for the time between now and then. Those plans sounded pretty appealing.  
  
* * * *  
  
After a good deal more traveling, Willow found herself clinging to Logan's back as the motorcycle roared down the road. He'd confessed with a small smile that he'd 'borrowed' the bike from someone at this school, and that he should probably return it. After a bit of giggling and an unconvincing 'shame on you', Willow had conceded that it was a very nice motorcycle. Of course, she felt like it was even better with Logan sitting on it, but she might be just a little bit biased.  
  
Logan slowed the bike, and came to a halt in front of a set of wrought iron gates set in a brick wall. An elegant mansion was visible through the gates, with a rolling lawn and manicured hedges and red flowers. It looked splendid, and entirely unlike any sort of school that she'd ever seen in her life.  
  
"That's Xavier's. Doesn't look much like a school, does it?" Logan chuckled a little, apparently enjoying her reaction.  
  
"No it doesn't… but I can feel the people inside. A lot of them… they don't feel quite the same though, not like I'm used to people feeling." Willow looked at the building, feeling the energies of it, the many people inside. This was a good place, a place of caring and nurturing and protection.  
  
"Mutants. I didn't know that it affected the aura or whatever it is you feel around people." Logan smiled, and then slowly punched in a number combination on the keypad. As the gates swung open, he gestured. "Welcome to Xavier's, hope you like the place."  
  
Willow gave him a hug, knowing that despite his almost teasing tone, these people were the closest that he had to family. Family wasn't a matter of genes, it was about caring and hoping and helping. And home was where your family lived, where you were welcome.  
  
He parked the motorcycle in front of a long garage, and the two of them walked towards the mansion. A few people were waiting on the steps. There was a scowling man with red sunglasses, and a woman with longer red hair who was trying to calm the man in the red glasses down. A dark skinned woman with white hair looked amused by the other two, and then stepped forward, her voice slightly accented. "Welcome back Logan. Who did you bring with you?"  
  
Logan held her hand in his, fingers entwined. "This is Willow, my fiancé. Willow, the guy in the glasses is Scott. He built the bike – it's in front of the garage, safe and sound. His girlfriend's Jean, and that's Ororo."  
  
Scott and Jean just looked astonished, as if things had ground to a halt at the word fiancé. Ororo smiled, looking delighted and stepped forward, holding one hand out towards Willow. "I'm delighted to meet the woman who could get Logan to commit to something like that. Welcome to Xavier's."  
  
Willow shook her hand, getting an impression of wind and rain and green growing things. "I think… I think I'm going to like it here. It's good to meet all of you; Logan's mentioned so many things. Most of them good things."  
  
Logan glanced at the still quiet other couple almost containing his smile. "It's good to be home."  
  
End Reach Out 5: The Meaning of Home.  
  
End Reach OUt series. 


End file.
